So, Where Does This Leave Us?
by The Young and Free Dragon
Summary: The new zombie gang have fallen into a basic routine and pretty much settled down. However, when something goes wrong and the zombie threat is renewed, they will have to fight for their survival and the survival of their relationships. Rating may rise.
1. Prologue

**This is my hand at a zombies fanfic, and mainly for the purpose of exploring the Marlton/Misty pairing. This story may contain future lemons. Please review and enjoy.**

SO, WHERE DOES THIS LEAVE US?

BY THE YOUNG AND FREE DRAGON

PROLOGUE: THE RAT RACE

Misty glanced around quickly to check if anyone was watching. No one alive was. She raised the B23R pistol with a silencer attached and squeezed off one burst into the head of a zombie with no legs that was crawling toward her. It groaned and fell on its face, blood quickly draining from the doorway the bullets had created as they had made the zombie's head their new home.

Misty turned away from the corpse, smirking to herself and let out a cry as she saw Marlton just behind her.

"Jesus Marl... you scared me," She panted.

"Please don't call me Marl," He said and continued before she could retaliate about the cute nickname she had given him. "You know we're suppose to be conserving ammo."

"I know but c'mon! I just washed these jeans. I'm not going to have a zombie get its blood on them already."

"You're going to find you're three rounds short when you need them, and those jeans aren't going to help you then," He commented, moving past her and kicking the zombie once to ensure it was dead.

She stuck her tongue out at him behind his back, but did admire a nice view as he bent over and attempted to unhook a hair pin from the tangled and dirty locks of the now dead zombie. Always looking for parts for something new to build. That was Marlton for you.

"What are you building now?" She asked as he stood up.

"I'm trying to top the Thrustodyne Aeronautics Model 23," He replied, fiddling with the pin with his back still to her.

"Oh yeah, the Jet Gun," She said.

"Indeed..." He murmured as he focused on getting the pin unhooked.

"What're Russ and Sam doing?" She asked, almost spitting in disgust upon the mention of Samuel.

"Samuel is searching for things to add to his horde," Marlton said, referencing a stockpile Samuel had built up in the anticipation of aliens to come and top the zombie apocalypse. "Russman, I don't know. Probably looking for watermelons or fried chicken."*

"Hey! Don't be a racist prick," She said, smacking him in the back of the head and glancing over his shoulder. "What are you trying to do with that?"

"I am attempting..." Marlton grunted, seemingly becoming more urgent to get whatever it was he was doing done, now that she was watching. "To bend this into a straight... shape for my invention. It's made out of... some material I can't manipulate however."

"Let me see," Misty said, pulling it out of his hands.

With one quick motion, she bent the pin into a perfectly straight shape. Marlton looked at it with embarrassment while Misty smiled smugly as she held it out to him.

"Put down the Spiderman dolls and pick up a dumbbell once in awhile," She snickered.

"They're action figures..." He grunted, as he pushed past her, as though this was opening up an old conversation he had had many times, regarding his collectibles.

Misty shook her head and watched him disappear back inside of the farm house before heading to the barn. They were staying currently at the farm because they had set up a system of retrieving ammo as the bus passed by each time, and getting food when necessary. Here they were quite well protected and could set up more or less of a home that they could defend. With Marlton's invention of the turbine, turret, and the electric trap (one Misty let him take credit for, despite that she built), they did not often have to face the zombies, aside from an occasional crawler that got past the defenses.

Inside the barn, Russman was digging about in one of the crates that was strewn about. The old, arthritic geezer was moaning and groaning as he bent his misshapen back to reach inside. Misty stopped beside him and leaned against one of the roof supports.

"What're you doing Russ?" She asked.

"Russ is lookin' fer ten cents," He said from inside the box.

Misty didn't question why he thought he might find it there but asked; "What for? The only machine here is Double Tap. It's not very useful."

"Russ's ol' trigger finger's a gettin' stiff. Might help him keep up with the freak-a-lopes when they start runnin' faster."

Misty glanced around and saw several mashed bottles from the Double Tap vending machine.

"Does Double Tap taste like beer to you?"

"What makes you say that?" He asked, standing up and his back letting out an audible pop that sounded like a snap.

"Nothing," She said, shaking her head and reached in the pocket of her jeans and produced ten cents. "Knock yourself out."

"Russman will pay ya back some day," He said with a lopsided grin and headed for the stairs.

"If he remembers..." Misty murmured to herself before heading for the shed where Samuel would stockpile things.

Misty knocked loudly on the door of the shed, not wanting to use up her turbine, nor did she want to walk in on something she didn't want to see. Samuel lifted the blind over one of the windows, and he looked as though he would have preferred aliens.

"What do you want?" he shouted through the glass.

"What are you putting in your pile?"

"What does it look like?" He asked.

She sighed and looked around. She saw nothing lying around on the ground outside, and she couldn't see anything inside accept Sam's ugly face.

"I don't see anything,"" She said, putting her hands on her hips.

"Exactly," He said, and shut the blind.

"Asshole..." She murmured.

She moved around behind the shed, hearing an occasional crash from inside and Samuel talking to himself. She always had to check what he was stockpiling, since he'd been known to steal from her and Marlton. She saw the Jet Gun propped up beside the back door.

"No way," She grunted, hopping over the fence.

She hefted the heavy gun up and hauled it away from Sam's items to stock. She entered the farm house and shut the door behind herself. Marlton was working on something at the table.

"We need to put the Jet Gun somewhere that Sam can't reach it," She said.

Marlton didn't say anything, as he was "in the zone" currently. Misty approached him and bumped him with the business end of the Jet Gun. He turned, about to go off about how he needed peace, but stopped and moved quickly out of the way of t he gun, bringing the small gizmo he was working on with him.

"Don't going that at me!"

"Then listen to a lady when she speaks," She replied. "Can you lock the Jet Gun in your computer room?"

"But the room is cramped as it is!" He whined.

"Don't worry, you'll have room to move your hand," She said, smirking.

Marlton blushed heavily, about to contradict her statement, but she leaned closer and put a gloved hand over his mouth. He scrunched up his nose at the smell of zombie on the glove and... whatever she did with them.

"Just don't set the gun off while you're "researching"." She said, mocking his usual excuse.

She winked at him and turned and wet up the stairs, shaking her hips a bit more as she walked. She heard him drop the gizmo he was working on and it bounced off the metallic Jet Gun. She could also feel his mouth hanging open and his eyes following her.

She sat down on a lawn chair they had set up on the balcony of the farm house. Her eyes scanned the mist that hung over the road in front of them. She assumed it was mist anyway. It hung there at all times, swirling and wet like a cloud on the ground, but it smelled of smoke and death.

She glanced down and noticed the DSR-50 leaning on the railing. She rolled her eyes and picked it up. Samuel had left his gun out here again. She wrinkled her nose as she picked it up and held it. God, it even stank of cheese.

"Something's wrong with that man..." She murmured.

Samuel seemed to have fully immersed himself in the apocalypse. Now he was leaving guns around like toys. Her eyes darted up as she saw movement in the fog.

A zombie came charging out, growling in determination to get her. She could let the turret take care of it, but what was the fun in that? She lifted the gun to her shoulder and looked through the scope. It was hard to find the zombie again since there were smears all over the lens. _Stupid asshole..._

She fired and the zombie was left charging headless until the body realized the head was gone and it collapsed. She put the gun inside and kicked the discarded casing off the balcony. The smell of smoke from the round was familiar and on her clothing.

She sighed and closed the doors and untied the skimpy T-shirt she wore and tossed it in a wash pan of old water. Standing in her black sports bra and jeans, washing an old raggedy shirt. This was the rat race.

***This is of course, not intended as a true racial remark. Please don't be offended.**


	2. Chapter 1

**Thank you to those who commented on the story and here is the next chapter.**

SO WHERE DOES THIS LEAVE US?

BY THE YOUNG AND FREE DRAGON

CHAPTER ONE: HOLES

Misty approached Marlton's computer room and knocked on the door. There was a lot of loud clicking and tapping of keys coming from inside and then Marlton opened the door, though stood blocking the view of what was in there.

"I'm going into town," She said, trying to look past him. "You need anything?"

"Um... no thanks," He said, blocking her view and trying to divert her attention. "Who's going with you? I thought it was Samuel and Russman's turn anyway?"

"Nobody, and it is. But Russ is asleep and Sam is up to some crazy shit in the shed."

"Crazy how?"

"I don't know, I just hear a lot of banging around. I was hoping you would check it out."

"I guess I can, but let me come with you," He said, coming out of the room, causing her to have to step back as he shut the door.

"Why?" She asked. "I can take care of myself,"

"Yeah, I know but I would feel better watching your back," He said, almost sheepishly.

She would have gone off on anyone else about how she was perfectly capable of protecting herself, but she could see that Marlton was genuinely worried. She smiled, and hugged him.

"That's sweet of you Marl," She said.

Marlton slowly wrapped his arms around her as well, almost as if he didn't know how to hug. He made sure his hands did not touch her bare flesh, but he accidentally brushed her side and Misty felt how smooth is palms were. So strange considering all of the hardships they had faced over the past few weeks.

"It's Marlton-..."

"Oh shut up," She giggled and pulled back.

She saw him blushing and smiled again.

"I'm going to wait on the bus and hold up T.E.D.D. If I can. You can go check on Sam."

"Roger," He said, and headed out the side door as she went out the front.

Marlton drummed nervously on his thigh as he waited for Samuel to answer the door. He wasn't nervous at all about what the paranoid schizophrenic was doing, but if he took a long time to answer or explain himself, Marlton might miss the bus and Misty would head out alone for sure. After a few more knocks, Samuel answered, opening the door enough to stick his head out.

"What?" He asked, suspiciously as usual.

"What are you doing, Samuel?" Marlton asked.

"Who wants to know?" He asked.

Marlton sighed. "Misty. I don't have time to waste on you . And you know we all work as a team, so you know 'who wants to know'-..."

"Man of the living, do you believe in me or not?!" Sam shouted, cutting Marlton.

Marlton blinked twice. "Samuel, should I-..."

"I do, I must!" Sam cried. "But why do you come to me?"

"Sam-"

"You hear him, don't you?! Tell me you hear the alien's voice!" He shouted into Marlton's face, his eyes blazing in a frightening manner.

Marlton recoiled from the cheesy breath and shook his head vigorously. Samuel had begun to scare him. The door slammed immediately on his answer. Marlton blinked again and turned away, heading for the farm house. Samuel was taking the alien thing a bit farther than normal. Marlton looked around inside his computer room for a notepad, he scribbled notes on. He made a note to Samuel, asking him to see him privately when he returned that night. He looked under his computer desk and pulled hut his weapons. An Executioner side arm and the Galil assault rifle.

He wanted to get something more modern as his primary weapon, being a man of computers and technology, but so far the Mystery Box had only given the Galil, the Executioner (which he liked), and the SMR rifle, of which was not a fan of and he stored in the fridge. He headed outside and slipped the note under the door of the shed before heading to the bus.

On the left side, he found Misty tightening the bolts on the outside ladder. She saw him approach and finished up quickly and turned to him.

"Ready to go?" She asked.

"Indeed. I think it would be in our best interest to visit the pharmacy in town. I'd like to set Samuel up on some medication."

"Why? What's wrong with him other than what we already know?" She asked, slipping the wrench she was using into a loop on her belt.

"he's talking to the voices in his head again, but he has started to act on them as well."

"That can't be good," Misty commented.

"my thoughts exactly," he replied and jumped slightly as T.E.D.D honked the bus horn. "Let's go."

They climbed on the bus and sat in the only seat in the back, both checking to see if their guns were loaded and cocked. With a jolt, the bus began moving toward the power station.

"A max ammo would be nice about now," Misty sighed, as she tossed an empty clip for her FN FAL into the floor.

"I'm working on the mechanics of this so called "magic" and I think soon I will not only be able to predict when power ups will appear, but be able to make them appear." Marlton said, though most of this was stuff on his list of things to do. He just wanted to reassure Misty.

"What about points?" She asked.

Marlton frowned. The subject of points was a tough one. The whole zombie invasion, wonder weapons, and perk-a-colas were explainable. But Marlton didn't know where to begin on how to explain the strange points system that seemed to govern their lives now.

Somehow, Samuel knew how much things cost and how many points each person apparently had. He claimed the voices told him but Mistry wasn't so sure. Marlton kept a tally of points and a key to let him know how much to subtract or add to their scores when opening doors, buying weapons, etc.

"I don't know" He finally said and shrugged. "I guess once I put Samuel on some drugs, I can begin questioning him about his knowledge of the points and magic."

"I don't trust him," Misty said.

"Quite obviously," Marlton said, closing his eyes and pushing his glasses up on his nose.

"No, I mean..." Marlton glanced down as he felt Misty's hand on his thigh and he looked to her eyes, and saw the seriousness and worry in them. "I think we should kick him out of the farm. Like now."

"He-he uhm..." Marlton stuttered, unable to form words (especially to contradict Misty) with her hand so close to his crotch. "he could be... u-useful."

"I don't care Marlton," She said, and he knew she was serious because she used his whole name. "I don't want him near you. I saw from the bus how he acted. He looked like he was about to kill you and..." She paused, giving his leg a squeeze before pulling her hand away. "I won't have that."

Marlton was silent, staring into Mist's well... misty eyes unable to bring up all the arguments that his scientific mind was conjuring.

"O-Okay, I'll tell him to get out when we get back," He said.

"Take your gun and make sure he's out, or I will," She said, sternly.

"I will, I will," He assured her, and glanced out the window as the power station came into view. "I'm going to check in the power station to make sure everything is running smoothly."

"Hurry," She sighed, and he nodded.

He opened the bus door and took a few steps before jumping straight into the air as a roar behind him scared him half to death. Three gun shots later and a few splatters of liquid on his back and he turned to see a zombie laying dead just behind him. Misty stood in the door way of the bus and tossed her clip on to the ground.

"Those were the last of my slugs, so you better get your rear in gear and get back out here before the next wave gets going."

Marlton nodded and ran toward the outhouse. He scrunched up his nose and tried not to throw up at the smell as he dropped down into the power station and woozily walked into the large white room. He always forgot about the stench there. He heard the distant roar of zombies and this encouraged him to get a move on. He ran to the control room stopping short at the entrance to the power station.

"Ah shit," Marlton murmured as he saw well over ten zombies walking across the cat walks.

He glanced behind himself and saw several more coming through the power core.

"Jesus," Marlton murmured, priming a grenade and tossing it into the power station.

The grenade rolled across the catwalk and eventually fell into the pit of lava below. With nowhere to go and one grenade left, he felt a pit growing in his stomach. Was this it? This was how it was going to end? Fucked over in a stupid situation that should have been routine.

He could hold off until Misty came looking for him, but he'd never endanger Misty that way. He had to let her know to go ahead to the town without him. He looked to his right and saw a hole where zombies would climb through. The zombies surely had some sort of tunnel system to travel about. It was a long shot, but the best idea he had.

He hopped into the hole as the zombies entered the room. He pulled the pin on his last grenade and left it lying at the entrance to the hole. Misty would hear the explosion and know something was wrong, so he had to move fast.

The tunnel was dark and he had to hold his calculator/watch out to see in front of him. Soon he found himself walking through a sort of burrow in the dirt. Many tunnels lead off of the one he was in, but he decided to simply go up.

However, he finally came to a dead end. The tunnel simply ended and he could hear the zombies not too far behind.

"No!" He shouted, punching the ceiling of the tunnel.

To his surprise, his hand went through the dirt and broke into fresh air. Excited, he quickly thrust his other fist through. Maybe he could make it!

"Where is Marlton, you dirt gobbler?!" A voice shouted above him as he attempted to pull himself out.

Where was he? He was right here. Wait...

"Misty, no!" Marlton shouted as he broke through the surface.

His words were covered by the familiar sound of B23R firing, and a strong impact hit his left shoulder, peppered with two more rounds following the first into the hole. He gripped the wound and cried out as he felt warm blood spilling out against his palm.

"Marlton!" Misty shouted in surprise as she realized the emerging zombie she had shot was her nerdy friend.

Marlton roared again in pain as he felt clawed fingers dig into his ankle and strike bone. Misty grabbed him under his arms and hauled him out of the hole. The zombie that had grabbed his leg managed to tear a large gash before losing its grip.

The bus honked loudly behind them and Misty quickly drug Marlton on to the bus, thanking God that he was so skinny and easy to carry.

"Misty..." Marlton groaned, his eyes widened behind his large glasses. "I-I can't feel my arm..."

Misty could see blind panic in his eyes despite the tears that were filling hers. She slammed the bus doors shut and dropped to Marlton's side as the bus began to move.


End file.
